Return to School
by Robot Wolf 26Z
Summary: Told strictly from Gretchen's POV, what happens to kids who have parents die? How are they treated? Well read to find out.


_**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. All Characters belong to Jeff "Swampy" Marsh and Dan Povenmire. (Forgive for any misspellings)**_

_**OCs that appear: Sam, Rachel, Parker (referred to), Glenn (referred to), and Wisteria (Gretchen's Mom).**_

_**This story occurs in between Everything has Changed and Not so Merry Christmas.**_

**Author's note: I included the Fireside Girls in the story****.**** The conversation about the Mystery Meat is actually what the Author thinks of mystery meat. Go figure. So I kinda got bored and decided to write a short story told solely from Gretchen's Point Of View.**

**October 5th**

**(Gretchen's POV)**

It's been two months since my dad died. We are back in school. The other kids are whispering as I walk by. The teachers are unsure of what to do when certain subjects come up in class, ones that they think might offend me.

It is lunchtime. Izzy comes and sits next to me.

"Hey Izzy" I said staring at the food on my lunch tray trying to figure out what it is.

"Hey Gretchen Whatcha Doin'?" She asked me, I couldn't help but smiling.

"Trying to figure out what this is" I reply gesturing at my tray.

She laughs at my comment, then says "Gotta love Mystery Meat Mondays"

"What's the mystery? This stuff looks like it is gonna rear up and attack" Adyson says as she sits down next to Isabella. Holly and Milly sit on either side of me.

"Why is it that we always sit together?" Milly asks, poking the mystery meat with a spork.

"We are an unit and really good friends" I point out, not really in the mood to go in to an explanation, which would require me to repeat it so they could understand.

"A Unit? How so?" Holly asks as Ginger and Katie come over and sit next to Isabella.

"What are we all in together?" I ask her

"The Fireside Girls" Holly answers

Isabella looks up form poking at the mystery meat, (I must say here I think everyone isn't too sure what the mystery meat is, even Phineas and Ferb as they are sitting with the guys poking at their mystery meat too.) Isabella says "I believe Gretchen meant because we are in the same troop as well as being good friends"  
I nod, and then take a breath and eat the mystery meat. The other girls do the same.

The bell rings and it is time to go back to class.

Science class, my favorite subject. We start the unit by playing friendly competition. We are separated by blocks of desks.

The final bell just rang. I pack up my homework and other items quickly and head out side. I want to avoid the other kids, not something I usually do but I do not want to deal with the staring.

"Gretchen wait up" I hear someone call.

I turn around and it is Isabella. She looks out of breath, as if she ran to catch up to me.  
"For someone of your size you sure do move fast" Isabella huffs.  
"Ok and?" I prompt her.

"I need to talk with you" She says

"Why?" I ask as we start walking again

"Well the other Fireside Girls and I are worried about you" Isabella says quietly as we pass some of the boys from Mr. Sampson's class.

"Why?" I ask again as soon as we were clear of them.

"Well you don't go into your long explanations any more" Isabella said.

"What's that supposed to mean and where is Phineas and Ferb?" I ask her  
"Phineas and Ferb had to go to the high school and wait for Candace" Isabella explains, "You just say the simplified version, you usually repeat yourself for our convince"  
I laugh bitterly at this, "I am not same person anymore Isabella, you know that and so do the other girls"  
We stop walking. Isabella looks at me, trying to understand my point. She looks confused and kind of upset. I take pity on her.

"Look Isabella, it's been two months, not enough time for me to regain my usual demeanor. Maybe I'll be back to my regular self later but it is just too soon" I say, "the pain is just too raw"

"I understand Gretchen, but promise me this" Isabella says  
"What?" I ask

"Whenever you feel bad talk to Sam or me" Isabella says tossing her long black hair over her shoulder  
"Ok I promise" I say and we sealed it with a Fireside Girl "I promise" handshake.

"Doesn't Sam have a boyfriend now?" Isabella asks me changing the subject, and Referring to my oldest sister Samantha, but goes by Sam. We started walking again.

"Yeah Theo something, they actually started dating before….well you know" I say quietly.

"Oh, Is he nice" Isabella asks.

"Yeah and he even puts up with Glenn's bad attitude" I say referring to my oldest brother whom is a junior in high school.

"Theo is a senior like Sam" I continue  
"Oh cool well see you tomorrow, ok?" Isabella says as we stop in front of my house.

"Not tomorrow, later at 7pm we have the Lil' Sparks induction program to go to remember?" I said reminding her.

"Oh right I totally forgot about that" She says, "Well then see you there"

I walk inside my house and hurry up the stairs to my room. I toss my backpack in to my beanbag chair. It lands with a poof. I then flop on to my bed. I stare at the celling trying to find designs in the patterns in the ceiling. This bores me quickly so I sit up. I glance over at my desk, which has all my Fireside Girls books and manuals, it even includes the first copy of the Lil' Sparks Magazine that I had received when I was a Lil' Spark myself. I sigh and then grabbing my backpack I head over to it and start on my homework. I am on the writing assignment when I hear a knock on my door.

"Hey Gretchen, may I come in?" Asked my oldest sister Sam.

"Yeah, the door is unlocked" I say over my shoulder

Sam comes in my room; she has her backpack in her hand.

"Rachel and Parker being too loud?" I ask her.

"Yeah, your room is quieter than mine" Sam mutters.

I chuckle at this. Rachel and Parker share a room next to Sam. Glenn is on the other side of her. I have the farthest room away from my noisy siblings.

"So what are you working on" Sam asks me

"Writing assignment" I reply.

"Sounds like fun" Sam mutters sarcastically

I finish my assignment quickly. Sam is doing her Algebra homework. She is quickly working out the equations. I flop on my bed again. Sam quickly finishes her Algebra homework.

Sam lies next to me on my bed. Together we try to find shapes in the pattern in the ceiling. We don't even notice that Glenn and Parker have gotten into another argument, until Rachel came into my room.

"Sometimes Parker does some really stupid things" Rachel said as she flopped down in the bean bag.

"Let me guess he got in to another argument with Glenn" Sam said sitting up.

"Yeah" Rachel said nodding, as she started playing her long black hair.

Mom knocks on the door.

"Girls dinner" she says.

We eat dinner in silence. It is Rachel's and my turn to do the dishes. Rachel washes and I dry. We quickly finish.

Sam, Rachel and I watch TV for about half an hour before I had to go the Lil' Sparks induction. I quickly get dressed in my Fireside Girls uniform. The meeting goes quickly. It was only an hour and half. As soon as I get home with my mom I go to bed. Returning to school after the summer has been different. **The End**


End file.
